Attachment bracket for shelf support system

ABSTRACT

An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, comprises a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. First protrusions are located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and are adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. The side arms comprise slots adapted for supporting a portion of the shelf unit therein. The slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of one of the side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from the back wall, whereby the bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post. The inner surface of the back wall has a third protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing the bracket outwardly from the corner post when the bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shelving systems and, more particularly to an improved attachment bracket adapted to be mounted with a particular type of existing shelving systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of shelving systems have been provided with post support brackets, whereby they combine ease of installation and variable height positioning. Furthermore, some shelving systems using brackets have been disclosed wherein no fastening means nor tools outside of a hammer are needed for the assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,678, issued on Mar. 21, 1978 to Champagne, discloses such a bracket to be used with wire shelves and will be described with more detail hereinafter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,286, issued to Trubiano on Jun. 3, 1986, uses the aforementioned bracket with flat surface shelves. Pat. No. 4,592,286 further discloses means for supporting adjacent shelving in planar alignment to a shelf supported between four posts provided with such support brackets.

Although the above mentioned brackets provide simplicity of installation and variable height positioning, as well as solid connection means to strengthen shelving systems against jarring, the previously disclosed brackets only oppose gravity against upward vertical motion, for instance when a shelf is struck from below, it can pop out of its connecting bracket. Furthermore, the bracket forms a collar with a portion of the shelving, whereby the collar ensures the releasable securing to the corner post. However, the assembly of the collar is troublesome if it is to be achieved by a sole individual as the bracket and the shelf must be held while assembling one to another. Furthermore, the prior art bracket of U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,678 is sometimes difficult to assemble due to the right angle configuration of its connecting slot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a bracket adapted for supporting shelves between square cross-section support posts and which substantially overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the above feature of the present invention, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms comprises at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.

According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms has at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of one of the side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from the back wall, whereby the bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.

According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising a bracket. The bracket has a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from the vertical edges of the back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of the bracket. At least a first protrusion is located on the inner surfaces of the bracket and is adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto. Each of the side arms comprises at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein. The inner surface of the back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing the bracket outwardly from the corner post when the bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail having reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a bracket in a shelving system using square cross-section support posts in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bracket of the prior art secured to a post and supporting a wire shelf;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bracket in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the bracket; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, a bracket of a shelf system of the prior art is generally shown at 10. The bracket comprises a back wall 11 and side arms 12 a and 12 b extending forwardly from vertical edges of the back wall 11 at substantially right angles thereto. The back wall 11 and the side arms 12 a and 12 b define inner surfaces 14 and outer surfaces 15. Protrusions 13 are included in the inner surfaces 14 of the bracket 10 and are formed by indentations 13 a on the outer surfaces 15 at the junction of the back wall 11 and the side arms 12 a and 12 b. Still referring to FIG. 1, only one protrusion 13 is shown, whereby three other protrusions are present on the inner surfaces 14 of the bracket 10.

The side arms 12 a and 12 b each comprise an upper slot, 17 a and 17 b, respectively, depending from a top edge thereof, 12 a′ and 12 b′, respectively. The side arms 12 a and 12 b further comprise lower slots 16 a and 16 b, respectively, downwardly projecting from transverse gaps 18 a and 18 b, respectively. The transverse gaps 18 a and 18 b laterally project in the side arms 12 a and 12 b, respectively. The lower slots 16 a and 16 b extend substantially perpendicular to the gaps 18 a and 18 b, respectively, and extend substantially parallel to the back wall 11.

A corner post of the prior art is generally shown at 20 in FIG. 1. The corner post 20 is of square cross-section and comprises a plurality of indentations 21 at its corners, disposed in sets in horizontal planes equally spaced from one another. The indentations 21 of the corner post 20 are shaped to engage in mating relationship with the protrusions 13 of the bracket 10 and are spaced to correspond with the spacing of the protrusions 13 in the vertical direction. Thus, the bracket 10 can be disposed on any set of indentations 21 of the corner post 20.

Similar ones of the above described mating bracket 10 and corner post 20 may be disposed at the corners of a shelf for the support thereof, as will be explained below. Still referring to FIG. 1, a portion of a wire shelf is generally shown at 22. The wire shelf 22 is defined by a plurality of elongated straight wires 23 having downwardly shaped transverse end sections 23′ (only one end being shown). Opposed sinusoidally shaped wires 24 a (only one being shown) extend between the straight wires 24 adjacent the end sections 23′. The wire shelf 22 further defines an end wall corner portion 25 consisting of spaced parallel wires 26 and 27. The spacing between the wires 26 and 27 is equal to the spacing between the lower slots 16 a, 16 b and the upper slots 17 a, 17 b of the bracket 10. In mounting the shelf 22 on the corner post 20, the wire 26 is disposed in the slots 16 a and 16 b through the gaps 18 a and 18 b, whereas the wire 27 is disposed in the slots 17 a and 17 b. Bracket and corner post assemblies had been placed beforehand at the four corners of the wire shelf 22, whereby the wire shelf 22 is supported thereat. FIG. 2 shows a corner adjacent to the corner described in FIG. 1, wherein the wire shelf 22 is mounted to the bracket 10 and corner post 20 assembly by the aforementioned method.

It can be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the wire shelf 22 forms a collar with the bracket 10 by being secured in the slots thereof, whereby the bracket 10 is kept in mating engagement with the corner post 20. As explained above, the sets of indentations 21 receive the protrusions 13 of the inner surface 14 in mating engagement. Consequently, the bracket 10, and thus the wire shelf 22, are kept from sliding in a vertical direction on the corner posts 20 at the corners thereof. However, a certain amount of dexterity is expected from a person to mount a shelf to the above described bracket. For instance, the bracket must be held manually on the post while the wire shelf is inserted therein, manually once more. At the same time, the wire shelf must be kept generally horizontal in order for the mounting to be completed.

Returning to FIG. 1, a set of four slots 26 a, 26 b and 27 a, 27 b, are defined in the wires 26 and 27, respectively, whereby to be received in a snuggle fit in the slots 16 a, 16 b, and 27 a, 27 b of the bracket 10 respectively. Consequently, the arms of the bracket 10 can not be spread apart when held in the slots of the wires 26 and 27. Furthermore, the wire shelf 22 is secured to the bracket 10 in all horizontal directions. As a result, the shelving system using the brackets of the prior art provides a solid structure, thereby preventing dislodging of its components when subject to, for instance, jarring or shaking.

However, the wire shelf 22 sits in the slots of the bracket 10 and is kept in position by its own weight. If the wire shelf 22 is pushed from below, it may move out of the brackets 10.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, and more particularly to FIG. 3, there is provided an attachment bracket, generally shown at 1. The attachment bracket 1 is similar to the bracket 10 described in FIG. 1, and thus like numerals will designate like elements.

The bracket 1 comprises a back wall 11 and side arms 12 a and 12 b extending forwardly from vertical edges of the back wall 11 at substantially right angles thereto from a top plan view, as shown in FIG. 4. The back wall 11 and the side arms 12 a and 12 b define inner surfaces 14 and outer surfaces 15. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protrusions 13 are included in inner surfaces 14, and are formed by, in a preferred embodiment, indentations 13 a on the outer surfaces 15 at the junction of the back wall 11 and the side arms 12 a and 12 b. The bracket 1 depicted in FIG. 3 comprises four indentations 13 a, and thus four protrusions, hidden in FIG. 3, but partially shown in FIG. 4.

Similarly to the known bracket 10 depicted in FIG. 1, the protrusions 13 are equally spaced, whereby to engage in a mating relation with the indentations 21 of the corner post 20, as explained herein above. Furthermore, the side arms 12 a and 12 b of the bracket 1 are spaced such that, when the bracket 1 embraces the corner post 20, the inner surfaces 14 of either side arms 12 are generally co-planar therewith.

Advantageously, as best seen in FIG. 4, a pimple 40 is located on the inner surface 14 of one of the side arms 12, resulting from a nick 41 in the outer surface 15. The pimple 40 is placed at a predetermined distance from the back wall 11 equivalent to the width of the corner post 20, whereby the protrusions 13 are kept in mating engagement with the indentations 21 of the corner post 20 when the bracket 1 is placed on the corner post 20. Thus, the bracket 1 and the corner post 20 may interconnect such that the bracket 1 is releasably locked in all directions on the corner post 21 by the pimple 40, whereby installation of a shelf in the bracket 1 will be facilitated as the latter no longer needs to be held manually on the corner post 20.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the side arms 12 a and 12 b have upper slots 17 a and 17 b, respectively, depending from top edges 12 a′ and 12 b′, respectively. The side arms 12 a and 12 b also have lower slots 16 a and 16 b, respectively, downwardly projecting from transverse gaps 42 a and 42 b. The lower slots 16 a and 16 b are arcuatly linked to the gaps 42 a and 42 b, respectively, and are substantially parallel to the back wall 11. The arcuate connections between the gap 42 a and the lower slot 16 a, and between the gap 42 b and the lower slot 16 b, define friction edges 43 a and 43 b, respectively. Furthermore, the upper slots 17 a and 17 b of the side arms 12 a and 12 b, respectively, also define friction edges, 44 a and 44 b, respectively.

The slots 16 a, 16 b, 17 a and 17 b are sized to receive a portion of a shelf, may it be the wire shelf 22 of FIG. 1 or a plate member as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,286, issued on Jun. 3, 1986 to the present assignee. In any case, the shelf elements are snuggly received in the slots 16 a, 16 b, 17, and 17 b, and are now held captive therein by the friction edges 43 a, 43 b, 44 a and 44 b, respectively. Therefore, the shelving is now prevented from upwardly moving out of the slots of the bracket 1 in response to an accidental upward force. On the other hand, the insertion of the shelving in the lower slots 16 a and 16 b of the bracket 1 is facilitated by the arcuate connections thereof. Furthermore, no tools outside of a hammer, when necessary, are required to secure the shelving to the bracket 1 nor for the releasing thereof.

The inner surface 14 of the back wall 11 of the bracket 1 also comprises at an upper edge 11′ thereof a further protrusion 45, formed by an indentation 45 a in the outer surface 15 thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, only one indentation 45 a and thus only one protrusion 45 have been added to the bracket 1. However, another pair of protrusion 45/indentation 45 a can be added at a bottom edge thereof. When shelving is inserted in the bracket 1, a collar is formed around the corner post 20, by the side arms 12 a and 12 b, the back wall 11 and the shelving, similarly to FIG. 1 of the prior art. The protrusion 45 is compressed such that it biases the bracket 11 away from the corner post 20. As a result thereof, the shelving closing the above described collar is pressed against the corner post 20, whereby added strength is provided to the corner post 20 and bracket 1 assembly.

It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the embodiments described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising: a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket; at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto; each of said side arms comprising at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and wherein said slots have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
 2. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
 3. The attachment bracket according to claim 2, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
 4. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
 5. The attachment bracket according to claim 1, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
 6. The attachment bracket according to claim 5, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said side arms.
 7. The attachment bracket according to claim 6, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
 8. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising: a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket; at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto; each of said side arms having at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a second protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
 9. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
 10. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said slots of said side arms have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
 11. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a third protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
 12. The attachment bracket according to claim 8, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
 13. The attachment bracket according to claim 12, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said bracket.
 14. The attachment bracket according to claim 13, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein.
 15. An attachment bracket for a shelf support system, adapted for being mounted to a post of square cross-section and for receiving a portion of a shelf unit therein, and comprising: a bracket having a back wall defining a bottom, a top and vertical edges, and side arms, extending laterally from said vertical edges of said back wall, whereby defining outer surfaces and inner surfaces of said bracket; at least a first protrusion, located on said inner surfaces of said bracket, adapted for mating engagement with a corresponding indentation in the post for being vertically secured thereto; each of said side arms comprising at least a slot adapted for supporting at least a portion of the shelf unit therein; and wherein said inner surface of said back wall has at least a second protrusion, whereby adapted for biasing said bracket outwardly from the corner post when said bracket is matingly engaged therewith for forcing the portion of the shelf secured thereto against the post.
 16. The attachment bracket according to claim 15, wherein said inner surface of one of said side arms has a third protrusion at a predetermined distance from said back wall, whereby said bracket is adapted for snap-fitting engagement with the corner post.
 17. The attachment bracket according to claim 16, wherein said first protrusions are located on junctions of said inner surfaces of said side arms and of said inner surface of said back wall.
 18. The attachment bracket according to claim 15, wherein said slots of said side arms have friction edge portions, adapted for the captive engagement of the shelf unit therein.
 19. The attachment bracket according to claim 18, wherein each of said side arms comprises a lower and an upper one of said slots.
 20. The attachment bracket according to claim 19, wherein said upper slots are open at a top edge of said side arms.
 21. The attachment bracket according to claim 20, wherein each of said side arms has a gap open at a lateral edge thereof, whereby said gaps are transversely connected to said lower slots in an arcuate channel, adapted for facilitating said captive engagement of the portion of the shelf unit therein. 